Ghosts Not Forgotten
by theunknownvoice
Summary: Two years have past since Max killed Ben and her guilt is consuming her. Will she able to handle the a betrayal by a trusted friend, a New Manticore and a dangerous enemy or will her ghosts run her life? REPOST
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel.

A/N: This story was originally started 2006 but never finished. I decided to restart the project. Every chapter is going to be rewritten because I didn't like the original. So for old fans of the story things are going to be shifted around in the rewritten chapters. Thanks for reading.

Her heart beat against her ribcage trying desperately to get out. She ran the adrenaline coursing through her veins as she pounded through the woods. She couldn't understand—or maybe she didn't want—what had broken him so much.

He didn't see himself as broken or at least that was what he told himself every night to ease his conscious. He was doing exactly what the designed him to do, systematically take lives. It was his mission now and the mission was all that mattered.

He couldn't stop. Who knew what would happen if he ceased. This was the closest to normal he had ever reached. Normalcy didn't exist for people like them.

No killing was the only thing he had. Anyone could kill not just genetically engineered soldiers. It was so simple, so instinctual.

It was habit. It was routine. It was the never ending pattern that all predators followed. Locate the prey, stalk it, hunt, and then use it fulfill your needs and then repeat. His sacrifices at the church were his way of making sure that the human life was valued.

Picking a target this time was too difficult. He never searched out his targets normally they just happened upon him. The hunt this time also had a snag. She was there.

"_Ben, why are you doing this?"_

"_You know why."_

Out of all the others that could've found him it had to be. She was possibly the only one that could understand. She knew what it was like to few the itch of the predatory claws digging deep into her. The inner demon that all transgencis had was not dormant in Max as it was not dormant in him. She too could hear her inner animal call out to her to be the predators she was meant to be but unlike him she ignored it. She ignored what she was and pretended to be human.

"_Not that I mind your one of the people who could possibly understand."_

"_That's where you're wrong. I don't understand."_

"_Come on Maxie! Don't tell me you've forgotten that day."_

"_Believe me, I tried."_

"_But you can't can you? Do you want to know why? Because it was the most exhilarating day of your life. For one brief moment you were what you were meant to be—a predator."_

She couldn't stop him no matter what they had been to each other before. But she could evoke the one emotion he thought long dead: guilt.

It was guilt and the memory of her eyes that drove him to the confessional. Her eyes had always gotten him to do whatever she wanted. Confession was where a person was supposed to be absolved of their sins and he had a lot of them. There was blood not only his hands but on his entire being. The red stain that he couldn't get rid or wipe away.

Sometimes when he was alone in the dark he felt guilt for the killings. At other times he admitted that it was the natural order of the world, survival of the fittest.

Manticore had taught him that. Kill they had told him and he had happily complied. It was kill or be taken to the Nomalies. Kill or no longer exist. Kill or be killed.

Would this cycle of killing never end? Would one of his victims finally get up the nerve and the strength to kill him? Would they kill him coldly and efficiently or would they torture him?

He wanted it to end. He wanted there to be someone who would kill him coldly like he killed his prey. It would be easier to be dead instead of living. In death he wouldn't be alone. He wouldn't be the only one. Damn Zack for separating them.

He hated being alone.

"I've killed."

He couldn't see the man on the other side. The screen affected his view but he would rather it was an anonymous stranger. Someone who he wouldn't worry about looking in the eye afterwards.

"Go on," the priest said.

"I've taken human life. What more is there to say?"

His anger was beginning to break out of its neat little cage. This man—how could he possibly understand what killing was?

"Murder is a grave sin, yes. But killing in self defense or to prevent an injustice like when a policeman or soldier—"

"I'm a soldier."

Did that justify anything? What else did soldiers do besides kill? He had been a custom designed killer.

"I see."

"Killing is what I was trained to do," he said factually.

"You're troubled by it. That's why you're here now."

"Sometimes I feel the Lady has given up on me."

What would he do if she had? There would be no where to turn. He had left Zack's care long ago and he wasn't willing to crawl back to his CO. The Lady was all he was living for now.

"No, she never gives up on any of us. We have to have faith in her."

"I try."

"We have to put our lives in her hands," the priest said firmly.

His eyes lit up when he heard this.

"Is your life in her hands?" he asked trying not to sound so eager.  
"She is always by my side."

"She protects you?"

She had failed to protect Jack and Eva but if she protected the priest—

"She's always there to help me."

His eyes began to turn a feral green-gold.

"Then you've got nothing to be afraid of."

He punched through the grating and dragged the priest out of the confessional. He blurred past the on looking parishioners..

The priest, Destry, was his prey. He taught him to use a gun and tattooed his barcode on Destry's neck. Killing the prey without either one was unacceptable. The gun—it was necessary the prey be armed. The prey had to stand a chance to escape the predator. The tattoo—it was his signature proving he had done this.

He would burn for this. He was committing the ultimate sin by giving the prey and himself false hope. This man would die like all the others had died unless his Maxie intervened.

He had been threatened when he heard her come up behind him but that changed when he recognized her. This was his Maxie after all but it was still strange. Even after ten years of not seeing each other they could still read each other like a book. She knew him by just a glance. One look at her was enough for him to tell that she hadn't accepted what she was.

"_Don't tell me that you don't wake up with the sound of your heart beating in your ears."_

"_Shut up."_

"_Or the taste of blood in your mouth."_

"_Shut up!"_

"_You're like a wolf in sheep's clothing, Max! You're hiding your instincts, every minute of everyday so no one will know what you really are. A soldier…a hunter…a killer."_

"_SHUT UP!"_

Max had known he was the killer when she saw him. He was beautiful and his hazel eyes could cause her to drown if they weren't so tormented. He had a haunted look to him and his insanity was evident. He was beautiful and out of his mind. He had become a killer, a hunter, and a psycho in ten years of separation.

His eyes had roamed her body and searched her face. Gone was the little girl he had made shadow puppets for. Here was a grown woman—beautiful. Her brown eyes still held the same passion, fight, and spirit but he could see that they were beginning to dim. Something was making her change. Something was trying to enhance perfection but was only destroying it.

She followed him through the woods. Her heart was beating fast as she chased after him. He was faster not only due to his design but also to his continual training. He led into the woods that would become the background of her nightmares. She fought to save him and perhaps to save herself.

She too was slipping. There was a part of her that wanted to do what they were made to do. She wanted to run as fast as possible and due physics defying acrobatics. She wanted to stop hiding and just live without the shadow of Manticore.

She could hear his hard harsh breathing as they fought. She didn't want to fight him. She had tried to reason with him but how could you reason with a madman? She had to stop him before he got himself killed. She didn't care about the risk of exposure. She was more afraid for him.

Not only because he was insane but because he was her Ben.

"Max, are you alright?"

Logan's voice pulled out of the memory.

"Sorry Logan, I was just lost in some memories."

"We're they good ones of us?"

It was their weekly dinner. It was a dinner that Max had almost canceled because of what today was. The anniversary of—She could see his smile and the shadows dancing on the walls. The shadows that had chased away her childhood nightmares and lured her to sleep.

She couldn't think about this now. Logan was looking at her wondering why she hadn't answered.

"It's not something I want to go into."

Logan frowned she wasn't supposed to be thinking of anything other than them and this moment.

"Max, we need to think about our future," he said grasping her hand.

She should've suspected something like this. Part of her had hoped, and prayed that Logan would remember what today was. It wasn't something she could pretend had never happened. For two years she had dealt with the fact that she was killer. That woods—

It haunted her nightmares and was ingrained into her soul. His pleading was still the back her mind. She could see his eyes burning green gold. She could see his smile, a smile so innocent it was difficult to believe it belonged to a killer. She could not forget. Never could she forget Ben.

Why should she expect Logan to notice something like this? He didn't even notice that she had distanced herself from him. She avoided his calls and coming to his apartment except for their weekly dinners.

Instead he kept trying to offer her things like the apartment. When she refused he just assumed it was because she wasn't ready.

The virus was no longer an issue. They had gotten the cure months ago. At first, Max couldn't contain her excitement. At last she could be with the man she loved. At first it had been amazing just to hold his hand and to sit next to him and not worry about accidentally touching but then the novelty of it all had worn off.

Finally they gave in to their desire and consummated their love. But afterwards Max had felt empty and incomplete as if she had made a huge mistake. It was the beginning of the end of the relationship.

Logan continued to think their relationship was fine. He came to TC or Jam Pony to see Max. He had shown up at her apartment with his list of plans to compare with OC. For months he had planned this dinner.

It was April 17th, eighteen months since he and Max had began officially dating. He felt the ring grow warm in his pocket. He couldn't wait to slip it on her finger.

Max sat there trying to drown her troubles in her champagne. She continuously refilled her glass knowing full well she wouldn't get drunk.

It was April 17th, two years since she had killed Ben. She couldn't wait to leave the table and go home to the silence of her apartment. Max felt extreme pain as she tried to fake having a good time at the dinner.

Logan's plans for the dinner had reached the utter romantic. He had bought Max the black silk dress she was wearing. It was low cut and somewhat revealing.

Max shivered in her dress. The fabric was barely keeping her warm and the heels on her feet were a size too small.

All day Logan had cooked. There had been his famous pasta smothered in pesto sauce with chicken on the side. Then there was caviar and shrimp. His last bottle of prepulse champagne was on the lace covered table. There were rose petals covering his bed. Tonight was the night though that they would finally show how committed they were to each other.

She heard the crack in horror. When he stumbled she thought he was trying to lure her in closer but when he kept trying to stand and his face—she would never forget that expression of helplessness. He kept falling and she watched the pit of her stomach rebelling.

What had she done?

She pulled him closer to her. He was scared and so was she. This wasn't Zack she was fighting. This was Ben.

She cradled his head in her lap. His hazel eyes were terrified. She wanted to say it was alright. She wanted to make so that they had never come to this point.

The whirling sound of helicopters didn't allow her time to come up with a plan. Their eyes met knowing full well what that sound meant. Manticore was coming.

"Don't leave me here. Don't let them take me," he begged his eyes gazing into hers.

"Ben, I can't carry you. We'll both get caught."

"I know."

He didn't ask her out loud but his eyes pleaded for her to do it.

"Ben, I can't," she replied her voice etched with grief.

"Please, you know what they'll do to me. They'll put me down there with them, the nomalies. Please," he begged sounding like a terrified little boy.

"Tell me about the good place," she said.

He smiled before replying, "Where no one gets punished."

"And no one gets yelled at," she said softly.

"And nobody disappears. And when you wake up in the morning, you can stay in bed as long as –"

CRACK!

She stared at her hands in horror. She couldn't do anything. She couldn't drag him with her. She ran leaving the body behind knowing that she carried this new sin.

"Max, are you alright?"

Max didn't look Logan in the eyes. The memory played over and over again in her head. "Logan, do you know what today is?" she asked in a shaky voice.

"Yes, it's our year and a half anniversary," he answered dropping down on one knee.

Max stared at him in horror. She felt herself becoming sick as she watched him reach into his pocket and pulled out a ring.

"Max Guevara, I have loved you for a long time. I want you to be my everything. Will you be my wife?" Logan asked hope shining widely in his eyes.

Max did the one thing she could do. She ran.

"_What's the matter, Maxie? You afraid to remember?"_

"_I don't want to remember."_

_I really don't want to remember, Ben._

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 11: Open the Door

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Original Cindy grinned. She was like the cat that got the canary and what a fine canary it was. That girl could drink! Cindy smiled her new lickety boo was worth jumping back into the dating game. Since Diamond there hadn't been anyone to hang onto Cindy long enough.

This girl—damn! She licked her lips slightly.

Then again maybe it was time. Her best boo was getting married. Logan had let her in on the plan. Sure she wasn't the type of girl to go for those big romantic gestures but Max might be. Then again maybe it was the person offering Max this chance of happiness.

Logan and Max were the perfect pair. Cindy had noticed the way the couple looked at each other. When they were first going out no one could get the middle of Logan and Max. They were always together laughing and enjoying each other if they couldn't touch. They were so in love with each other.

Logan obviously adored Max and Max had been completely in love with Logan. When they had thought that Max was dead, Cindy had seen Logan go into severe depression. She had thought he would never recover from that loss. But when Max return, a weight had lifted off Logan. Of course the virus had forced the two lovers to remain apart but it was no longer an obstacle. Now the pair could be together like they had always wanted.

Something was up with Max though. Cindy had noticed that her roommate wasn't really talkative of late. Cindy had been surprised when refused Max to move in with Logan. She thought her girl would jump at the chance to be with the man she loved. Max had point blank refused. Maybe it was just nerves or the fear of commitment.

Cindy hoped for a quiet night. Max would call her later and tell her the good news. The sound of sobbing was coming inside the apartment.

"Max?"

Cindy stared at her sobbing roommate. Max was sobbing on the floor curled up as a ball. She was rocking herself back and forth trying to hold it together. She couldn't believe that this ngiht ahd happened. She didn't want Logan. She didn't need the normalcy he offered. It was that normalcy—

No it wasn't Logan's fault. He had never treated her differently from anyone else. Even when she had first broken into his penthouse he had treated her as a normal person. Sure she did missions for him but it was a quid pro quo relationship. She helped him out and he gave her information.

His information was never enough and it didn't equal the time that she spent doing missions for him. Her sibs were good at hiding though. Perhaps Logan couldn't find anything. Yeah that was it. He was always reasearching.

But never truly looking for her sibs. She had done more with a P.I. than he had ever done. But he had found her Ben.

Wait a minute Max stopped crying. He had only found her Ben because someone in the police had given him the information looking for answers.

"Max what's wrong?"

Max gazed at Cindy. She didn't even know where to begin. The collapse of her relationship with Logan or the death of her brother?

Luckily for Max the phone rang.

"OC here speak your price."

"Is Max there?"

"Logan?"

"Yes, Max is she there?"

"She's here alright. What happened?" Cindy asked as she watched Max who was washing her face.

"I asked her to marry me and you know what her response was? She didn't say anything. She just ran out of here."

"Well, she don't look too good. I think she needs you to come take care of her. You know that you can always get through to her. She's crying on the floor. I tried talking to her but she ain't responding to me."

"I'll be right there."

About ten minutes later Logan came in still dressed in his tux. He rushed to Max's side immediately. He bent down and tried to pull her into his arms.

Max reacted fast. She was no longer crying but she wasn't happy to see him. She pushed him off her and sent her sprawling into the nearest wall. She turned and looked him in the eyes.

"Don't touch me," she growled.

"Max, I was only trying to help," Logan answered confused at her actions.

Max just narrowed her eyes at him. "Do you know what today is?" she demanded.

"Max, it's been a year and a half since we officially started dating."

"Is there anything else important about today?" Max asked her eyes darkening dangerously.

Logan just stared blankly as far as he was concerned today was only important because it was their anniversary.

"Boo, why don't you tell us," Cindy said trying to defuse the volatile atmosphere. "Why have you been acting so weird? I mean you almost canceled your dinner date tonight. You took off of work today. No one knows where you went. Alec said you didn't show up for a meeting at TC. Girl, that just ain't like you. So what's wrong? What aren't telling us? You're not sick or pregnant are you? Because if you are we can help you girl."

"No, it's nothing like that," Max answered trying not to laugh.

She would never be so upset about such simple things. She could deal with those.

"_You're a wolf in sheep's clothing."_

_I may be but then what are we all? I don't what else we could've been. We had to hide what we were, Ben. You couldn't and that's why…_

The tears leaked out of her eyes. She didn't want to think about it.

"Then what is it boo? What's making you act so strange?" asked Cindy.

"You were going to cancel on me?" Logan asked.

"I had a good reason," Max replied.

"Where were you today?" Cindy asked. "And how did you get Normal to give you the day off? You know he ain't exactly your biggest fan girl."

"I told Normal it was an anniversary," Max answered calmly.

"You used our anniversary as an excuse?" Logan asked her incredulously.

Max would never do something like that. She was always so careful about keep their relationship separate from other parts of her life.

"I wasn't talking about our anniversary. I told him I needed to leave town."

"That sure don't explain where you were boo."

"I had things to do."

"Just tell us," Logan said his eyes growing colder.

"I went to confession," Max answered bluntly.

"You're lying," Logan said.

"No, I went to confession. I needed to go."

"Max, you ain't exactly religious boo."

"It was something I needed to do. I knew you wouldn't understand. Now can you both leave me alone?"

"Just tell us why you were crying and why you left without answering me," Logan said.

Max turned her back on him. "I miss my brother."

"What does your brother have to do with anything?" Logan demanded.

"Home girl, I know you miss Zack, but this is a little extreme. I mean you didn't even eat breakfast this morning. Something has got to be wrong for you to do that," OC said.

"I wasn't talking about Zack," Max answered looking down at the floor.

"Who were you talking about then?" demanded Logan. "I mean it has been a while since you've seen any of the others. Hell, it's been a year since you saw Zack. It can't be because you miss one of your brothers. It has to be something else. Your behavior is a recent development. And I don't believe for one second it has something to do with your brothers."

"How would you know? It has been two years since I last saw him. Last year I spent the anniversary of his death alone at the Space Needle. I took some personal time. I remembered him and I tried to make peace with what I had done. I still haven't made peace with it. I know that I never may. I will never accept the fact he is dead. It just hurts too much. So what do you do this year? You propose to me on the anniversary of my brother's death. How could you ask me to marry you on the anniversary of Ben's death?" Max asked Logan in very controlled voice.

Logan looked at Max and horror. "This is all about Ben? It's been two years Max. I forgot the anniversary. You should've just told me. Besides you shouldn't beat yourself up over his death. He was a killer that had to be stopped."

"To you he was a killer but to me he was my brother. He may not been my brother biologically but he was close to me. He was my unit mate and my best friend. How can you think that his death wouldn't affect me? How can you tell me that it is something to accept? I could've helped him."

"Max, he was psychotic. I doubt there's enough professional help in the entire planet that could've helped him. He was hunting people like they were animals. He needed to be stopped. That's why I threatened exposure if 'Deck didn't stop him. And Deck's people finished him off."

"You what?" Max asked her face turning ashen.

To be continued….


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 11: Open the Door

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel.

A/N: I am posting two chapters today. Enjoy! Also the reason why there are no _italics _during what appears to be flashbacks is because everything that is a flashback is really going on in Max's head. She's remembering and fading in and out of reality. Sorry if that confuses anyone.

CRACK!

Cindy hadn't seen Max's hand move.

"Now what the hell did you do?" Max spat.

Logan's hand went reflexively to his face. It hurt and if Max had used anymore force he would've easily had a broken cheekbone.

Max gave Logan poisonous looks. She had been such an idiot. Zack had warned her about Logan and what had she done? She had discredited her brother every step. Her weak excuses that Logan was a good man who could be trusted sounded false. Logan would never betray.

That was the only belief that had kept her in this relationship. Now she knew that it was a lie she felt like more of a fool. Trust didn't exist except among others like them and the rare individual that was Original Cindy. But she had been a fool two years ago.

"Another body?"

Max didn't need to ask. She already knew but she would pretend for Logan.

"Found about ten miles southeast of the first. Same M.O. Doctor Shankar managed to sneak me some morgue shots before Lydecker caught wind and took the body. Same barcode…identical to Ben's. You sure that was him in the morgue yesterday?"

Max glanced at the photos. She really didn't need to look but she wanted to understand for one brief second what she was dealing with.

"Max?"

Her head snapped back to Logan. He was giving her an anxious look and adjusting his glasses.

"I don't know."

She did know. She knew but what the point in telling him? He wouldn't understand. He had never done what she had done. He had never killed not in cold blood and barely in defense.

"You don't know?"

His voice was raising and his eyes were boring into her. The ice cold blue of the detective was prevalent.

"I'm not sure," she answered evasively.

She looked out the window. If she didn't stare at him perhaps his gaze wouldn't penetrate her. She wouldn't have to recognize what was sitting in front of her or tell Logan. What must he think of her?

She loved him. He didn't need to know about what they had done in Manticore. She was Max Guevera not X5-452. The thing that Manticore had made her was their creation. That wasn't who she was.

"He's the closest thing you have to a brother and you're not sure?"

She wanted to scream. Logan didn't know anything about her in her siblings. His only encounters had been with Zack. How could she explain Ben?

Ben had held when she shook.

Ben had stayed up late at night making shadow puppets while she and Jondy couldn't sleep.

Ben who made up stories to explain their lives.

Ben who protected her from the Nomalies.

Ben who let her sleep with him when she had a nightmare.

Ben—who was killing.

Ben who was hunting.

"That's what I said," she answered her thoughts swirling.

"Well they can't both be Ben."

She can't hide the truth from him. Logan is with information like a dog is with a piece of meat. He'll drag it through the mud and endure being beaten if only to learn the truth. He is the voice of truth. Truth is his business.

"Max?"

He can see her shell breaking. It's getting easier and easier for him to convince her to him her secrets. She isn't the same woman he met breaking into his penthouse. She's becoming more civilized, more refined—more human.

"Neither of them is," she admits. "Ben killed those men, alright?"

Alright? How is this alright? His eyes harden.

"What?"

"You heard me. He killed them."

"How do you know?"

Max wants to kill Logan at that moment. She wouldn't have said it if she didn't know and she is not giving him proof to use against Ben. She is not implicating her brother until she sees him.

"I just do?"

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Why can't she ever straight out tell him the truth? She is always hiding and he is the last person she should be hiding from. Didn't they love each other? Instead she glares at him her chocolate eyes like rocks from some ageless mountain.

She head towards the door. "Stay out of it."

"Stay out of it? There's an X-5 killing people and Seattle isn't his first stop."

How dare she order him to do anything?

Max glares this unit business not Eyes Only business. This concerns her family not his mission.

"I had Beverly reach out to M.E.'s in other cities. Two murders in Chicago fit the profile. Four in Miami, three in New York. In each case Lydecker swooped in and shutdown the investigation. For some reason he's protecting the killer…and apparently so are you."

"I'm not protecting anybody."

Lie. She knew it too.

"Then why did you lie to me?"

"If your brother was a murderer, would you want people to know?"

Lie two.

"I'd want him stopped."

She looked at Logan. He honestly believed that but how would he know? He was an only child raised in the lap of luxury. He didn't know what it like waking up and not feeling safe every morning. He didn't know what it was like to see the two pairs of eyes one blue and commanding, and the other hazel and intelligent. He had no idea what it was like to hang onto a group of people and use them to fix yourself into this world. He could afford to believe that he would do such a thing if his brother was a killer for the simple fact that he didn't have a brother.

"I'm on it Logan."

"Let me help."

"I don't want your help."

"Why not? What's going on? What aren't you telling me?"

"Back off and let me handle this."

She shoved him hard and left. This was her business.

"MAX!"

Max shook her head. Cindy and Logan were both staring at her worriedly.

"What exactly did you do, Logan?"

"Max, I think you should sit down," Logan said.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?"

"I told 'Deck that I would expose Manticore if he didn't stop Ben," Logan said calmly.

"What gave you the right to contact 'Deck?"

Her voice was cold and her eyes were feral. Logan was trying not shake and Cindy was disturbed by the sight of her best friend's anger.

"I was trying to protect you. I love and even then I would give up anything for you," Logan answered.

"LIAR! Don't claim to love me. I can take care of myself."

"Not when it comes to your family."

"You don't know anything about my family or me! You don't know what I had to do."

"What did you have to do, boo?"

Max turned to look at Cindy. She had forgotten her friend was in the room.

"I killed him. I had no choice. We…" Max tried to hold in her tears, "fought. I broke his leg. Manticore surrounded us. Ben didn't want to go back. He asked me to kill him"

She turned towards Logan.

"Can you imagine Logan? Your brother asks you to kill him. If you don't he goes to what will most likely be his certain death or, life in captivity while scientists experiment on him. Or maybe they would have dissected him trying to figure out was wrong with his make and model. That's what they thought of us. To them we were just machines. And if they thought there was some error, some defect, in you they would take you apart just to figure out how to make newer and better versions of you. So I did what he asked. I killed him by simply snapping his neck. And then I ran like hell out of there to save my own hide."

Logan stared horrified at Max. It was true. Everything Lydecker said was true. They were all killers including her. Killing in cold blood was child's play for them. His blood ran cold. She had broken her own brother's neck. Logan had wanted Ben to be put on trial not killed.

He looked at Max. Who could imagine that under that beautiful package their lurked a killer? He didn't see the woman he loved for her composure and need to fight. She was the monster that had been created in a lab. The killer who had been unleashed and trained by Manticore. But she had killed not for personal game or for some mission. She had killed to save lives. She had killed to stop a murderer.

Was what happened to Ben injustice?

No, Logan reasoned. Ben hadn't deserved mercy. He hadn't given his victims mercy. Innocent men had been sacrificed by a trained murderer. It didn't matter if Ben was schizophrenic or psychotic. He had robbed innocent people of their lives and if death was how he paid for it so be it.

"You don't need to feel guilty about that," he said. "You did what you had to do. It was either stop him or allow him to kill another day. His victims and their families can now be at peace. You took a monster—"

"He wasn't a monster!" Max snapped. "He was scared and lost. He was alone. What can you understand of that? You don't know what was wrong with him or what was going through his head. We don't even know if he could rationalize."

"What does it matter if he was sane or insane? He killed and he received a proper punishment."

"Get out!" Max growled.

Something was wrong. Logan could tell. Max wasn't herself. This anger didn't belong to her.

"Max let's talk I promise we can work this out."

"GET OUT!"

"You heard my boo," Cindy said speaking up for the first time. "You had better go Logan."

Logan nodded at Cindy and headed out the door.

Max crumpled back onto the floor sobbing. She was broken. Her pieces were shattered and scattered. She was alone. The others were gone and here she was in an ordinaries' world alone. Alec—

Right now all she wanted was Alec. He wasn't Ben or any of the others but he was her unit member name. He would understand. Alec for all his faults never failed to understand.

Gently Cindy covered her with a blanket and sat down beside her. She cradled the weeping transgenic woman for more than an hour. Slowly Max drifted off to a fitful sleep.

"Morning boo," Max said to OC as she poured the other woman a glass of coffee.

OC raised an eyebrow. There were no signs of the tears from last night. Max scampered around the apartment cleaning and getting ready for work.

She wasn't going to be late today. She was going to be on time and use her job as a way not to think about Logan. She didn't care if she ever saw the ordinary again. He was partially to blame—

She may have crushed Ben's airway alone but Logan had put her that situation. Max was too busy consuming her half cooked eggs to answer the door.

"Boo you have a visitor."

"Alright but we gotta get to work OC."

Max looked at the doorway half-expecting Alec or Sketchy.

"Max, I—"

"I told you I didn't want to see you Logan."

"I just wanted to apologize and give you these."

He held out flowers and a sympathy card.

"I'm sorry about your brother."

Max slammed the door in face throwing his presents at him.

"OC let's go," she called out. "I'm done taking out the trash and we don't have time to waste."

"What's up Max?" Alec asked.

Max simply ignored him as she headed to her locker. He may have Ben's face but Alec wasn't Ben. Yesterday maybe she thought he would've understood but now thinking back she knew he wouldn't. Alec had his own reasons for hating Ben. Not that she could blame him but he sure as hell wouldn't understand her reasons for missing him.

"Hot run!"

Max didn't say anything as she took the package from Normal.

Max leaned up against the cold metal of her bed. She couldn't sleep. It was late in the night and the others except for her Jondy, Jack and Ben were wide awake.

"Please Ben?"

Jack was begging. The shakes had been getting to him lately. His body had been in convulsions and he hated nighttime when the attacks were the hardest.

Ben was half asleep as made the shadow of a bird fly across the wall.

"That's so cool," Jondy whispered. She was beginning to be lulled into sleep.

Max watched as Ben's fingers fluttered in the bird shape. Ben bit back a yawn as the bird continued to fly.

"Make a bat," Jack said.

"Please Ben?" Max added.

Ben grinned as he moved his hands. The bat flew differently than the bird. His fingers moved in neat little movements.

At last Jack fell asleep.

"Do you want me to make anything else, Maxie?"

Max shook her head.

"Go to sleep Ben. You're tired."

"I don't want to leave you alone, Maxie."

"Don't worry. I know you're right there."

Max knocked on the door. "Delivery for Ms. Higgins."

"Here," an older woman said.

She reeked of cigarettes and liquor. "What the hell, this isn't' even what I ordered?"

"Ma'am your name is on the box."

"I don't want this!"

"Ma'am it says it's urgent."

"Don't talk back to me! I said take it back."

Max merely shrugged and returned to her bike.

It was late at night and the room that they all shared was creepy. The trees in the dark made funny shapes reminding Max of hands. The others were asleep but try as she might Max was still wide awake.

She heard the creaking noises in the hallway. Trying to be rationale and not panic, she once again tried to sleep. The creaking only got louder. There wasn't a sound of footsteps.

"Ben, are you awake?" Max whispered.

"I am now," Ben replied shaking himself awake.

He could tell even in the dark that her eyes were scared.

"What's wrong Maxie?"

"I can't sleep."

"You never can sleep."

"I'm cold and I had a bad dream."

Ben looked at her before scooting over.

"Come on."

Silently Max crawled over into Ben's bed. She placed her head against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her. She snuggled deeper into him. His heart beat gently lulled her to sleep like a lullaby.

"Ben?" she asked a few minutes later.

"Yes?" he yawned.

"Thank you."

"Go to sleep Maxie."

A few moments passed in silence.

"And Maxie?" he asked.

"Yes?"

"I have bad dreams too."

Max could barely hear Normal screaming at her.

"I don't know what's wrong with you missy miss but if you don't get your work together then—I knew I shouldn't have let you off yesterday. It messed with your head."

"It was the anniversary of my brother's death."

"How do I know that's the truth?"

Max felt like screaming.

"I wouldn't lie about that Normal. My brother—my closest brother—died two years ago. Believe me I wish it wasn't true—"

"Alright, alright."

Now every Jam Pony employee was staring at them.

"Brother?" Alec asked looking at Cindy.  
"Yeah, her brother Ben. Who I had never heard of since last night."

"Did you say Ben?"

"Yeah. Why?"

Alec felt his blood run cold. That's why Max had ignored him. He had thought he had pissed her bitchiness off but no it was about Ben.

"Alec, what do you know about Ben?"

Alec glanced around pulling Cindy into the locker room.

"Alec? You know Original Cindy don't swing that way."

"I can't talk in front of the others. We barely managed to prevent ourselves from being exposed the last time."

"Alright, alright, now spill."

"Ben's one of Max's old unit mates. He lost it. She didn't really have a choice."

Cindy stared at Alec. Why the hell did Alec know?

"So you know Max killed him?"

"She told me."

"Why tell you?"

Alec bit his lip. Damn it! Couldn't that bastard stay just a memory in some unmarked Manticore grave?

"Ben's my twin—or rather I'm his."

Cindy gapped. "When you say twin, do you mean—"

"I'm his clone."

"No wonder Max was hostile towards you."

"You're telling me and that explains why she's been ignoring me."

"Damn sugah, why didn't you say anything?"

"Would you want people to know, your brother was a psychotic murderer?"

"Guess not. Still a heavy burden to bear."

"It's not that bad. Besides I'm always alright."

Cindy raised an eyebrow. "Whatever you say sugah, whatever you say."

"Hey guys!"

Sketchy came into the locker room. "Normal let Max off for the rest of the day. Is that crazy for what?"

The pair shared looks. Something was very wrong.

Pain coursed through her frail nine year old body. Her body convulsed as if some animal was trying to break out of her chest and escape into the night. She strained to make it stop. But the more she tried the more she shook. She became more terrified as she shook more violently.

She could see the others' faces as they gathered around her. They were just as afraid as she was. She heard them whisper that the Nomalies would soon be coming to get her.

"Are they coming to drink her blood?" asked of terrified Kavi.

"No," said Ben firmly as he sat down on the bed next to her. "We won't let them take her. I won't let anyone hurt you, Maxie."

He gently stroked her face as he whispered the last part to her. She whimpered into him and placed her head in his lap. She had never been so scared in her life.

"She has the shakes like I do," Jack said disturbed.

"ENOUGH!"

The others grew quiet as Zack took charge.

"Eva and Seth watch the hallway. Inform us if you see anyone. Tinga, stay with Max. Try to get her to stop shaking. The rest of you go to bed," Zack ordered.

The others moved to comply but Ben stayed holding Max.

"Ben, go to bed," Zack ordered.

"Let him stay," Tinga said. "She is calming down while he's here."

Zack glared but didn't argue with Tinga.

Max unlocked her apartment door. She was so tired that she collapsed into her bed. Two years worth of guilt and mourning had overwhelmed her.

She was so tired that she didn't hear someone opening the window into her apartment. She didn't hear her bedroom door open. She didn't recognize the familiar scent of her brother.

"What on earth am I going to do with you Maxie?" the young man asked aloud.

To be continued….


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel.

The minute he spoke her regretted the words. Max's eyes flashed open. It was a natural reflex for anyone who had grown up the hell-hole that was Manticore. She sprang automatically into combat position her muscles stiffening in response to the threat. Maybe it was the sleep, or the grief or perhaps had been because she had been crying, she turned to look at the person who spoke prepared to strike.

One glance and her muscles untensed.

"Kritty?"

Krit winced at the childhood nickname. He never did pay Zane back for that one. Did he look anything resembling a kitten?

Max glanced her brother over. He hadn't changed much since the last time she saw him. Sure there were shadows under his eyes but what transgenic didn't have trouble sleeping?

"How goes it baby sis?" he asked attempting to sound causal.

"Not good. What are you doing here?"

Krit glanced around the apartment ignoring the question. Max sure did have a nice place. It might not be considered that way but he had lived in a lot worse. He vaguely remembered the two bedroom apartment he had left behind several days ago. All he had had for were some cardboard boxes for furniture and a safety deposit box for his valuables. Yes, the lock of Syl's hair was a valuable. Syl…the reason he was here in Max's apartment screwing up her attempts at a normal.

"Nice place you got."

Max stared at her brother. For years they had been separated and contacted had only been initiated in the direst of moments. The shadows and the lack of sleep in Krit's appearance explained enough to her. Something was wrong and whatever it was it wasn't going to be magically fixed by some clicks of Eyes Only's keyboard.

"Why are you in Seattle?"

"I heard a rumor you were alive and wanted to see if transgenics had nine lives."

Max glared. "Cut the bullshit and tell me what the hell is going on."

Krit glanced away from her and stared out the window.

"I don't know what happened. After the catastrophe at Manticore, Syl and I split up. Deck knew what we looked like and we didn't buy his whole 'My kids are the world to me' act. He knew our faces and nothing we could do could change that. We figured he'd be on our tails sooner or later if yours and Zack's capture hadn't been part of his initial plan."

"Manticore's gone. It blew up over a year ago. Deck may still be out there but he's a minimal threat."

"I knew that but rumor is that government isn't done with us. Lydecker is probably rebuilding Manticore as we speak with new support and better technology than before. The others—I haven't heard from them in months. I wondered if they had had a run in with that breeding cult—rumor is you know about this fam…fam—"

"Familiars. They're still running loose waiting for the world to end but I would've heard if they had killed or captured any transgenics recently."

Krit watched the cars go passing by. "I need to find her."

"You miss her, I understand but maybe—"

"I love her, Max. There's no if about it. Something's happened. She would've contacted me otherwise. There's no trace of her or the others. It's like they never existed."

"How long since you last had contact?"

"A month. "

"You haven't heard from anyone?" Max asked her eyes wide with horror.

"None of our siblings are answering my pages. I can't even reach Tinga's husband. I went to his last known location in Canada but I could find no sign of him or the little boy."

"What about Zane, Jondy, and the others? Did you try their locations?"

"Yes and there's no sign of them. There's not even a message telling me they relocated. Kat would've told me something if she was planning on moving. Sometimes she calls just to talk. But I haven't heard from her in two weeks and even that has a message that she had tried to transmit to me a month ago."

"It's like some type of nightmare."

"It gets worse," Krit said facing her. "The safe house locations—I don't even know them. Zack was so damn secretive that without him we have no way of knowing. I had his phone so I was able to make contact but I still don't know everything he did. I was never supposed to be CO. I'm not like Zack, Seth or Ben."

Max's heart constricted at the sound of Ben's name. She barely heard Krit mutter, "I'm just a simple soldier. I couldn't led a group into a mission no more than I can turn back time."

"I'll help you. Right now you should sleep," Max said.

Krit nodded. He had last slept four days ago and unlike his shark-DNA enhanced sister, Krit needed sleep. He had never been able to train himself to do without it.

"I've been running for months. Never stayed I n the same place for more than three weeks. I take it you haven't left Seattle."

Max shrugged. "It's not like I couldn't leave. There's nothing really here to hold me to the city anymore. It's been looking like I'd be moving into TC sooner or later and taking on the full responsibility of leadership—"

"That's what been bothering you? The responsibility?"

She glanced away from him. "Do you think we're ever forgiven?"

"What? You mean for things Manticore made his do?"

She shook her head. "For things we did to survive. For the sacrifices we made to protect ourselves."

"Max—"

"Everyone says hat a person has to move past the past but how can you forget—"

"This is about the past?"

"More or less."

Krit opened his mouth. The Max had seen before the mission had been with drawn as well. She had avoided to speaking them about anything other than the mission. She had been withdrawn then but not like this. Had something happened?"

"Who did you miss most after the escape?"

Krit snapped out of his wondering. The escape. He hadn't thought of that hellish night when the ice was thin in such a long time. Syl's hand had clasped his and all he could think was that he was grateful not to be alone.

"I was partnered with Syl, so that rules her out. I guessed I missed Kavi. He was like my shadow back at Manticore. He was the baby brother. He was the only other guy younger than me and I felt like it was my job to protect him. Who did you miss?"

"At first I missed Zack a lot. He was our CO, our big brother. I thought if he was around maybe I wouldn't be so lonely. He would be able to tell me what to do when I got myself into a jam. But then I thought about Ben. He was always there for me. He would talk to me. He always treated me more like an equal than like a subordinate. I really missed him. Now that he's dead I guess I miss him more."

Krit's breath caught. So Ben was dead. That's why his pages had been unanswered.

"When?" he asked.

"Two years ago before we blew up the DNA lab," she answered.

"How?" he asked quietly.

"Krit, he started killing ordinaries. Manticore was onto him. He—I don't want to talk about it."

"You can tell me, Maxie. I won't judge you or Ben."

Her eyes were full and he could see the faintness of tears. What the hell? Where was the strong stoic Max he had worked with before? She was staring at him but Krit got the eerie feeling that she wasn't seeing him.

Max could see the trees in front of her and surrounding her. She could hear the harsh breathing that she could now recognize as Ben's as he moved through the underbrush. He was fast. Fast enough to beat a small car and keep going for miles.

All she could think was that if she didn't do something an innocent man would be dead. The priest wasn't Manticore. He didn't deserve Ben's reenactment of the seek and destroy exercise. Why had she never guessed that that hellish day when Lydecker sent them out like dogs to hunt a human fox had affected him? Her nightmares were constructed of images of that day. The day when she learned to rip a man's flesh apart with her bare hands.

"MAX!"

Krit had been yelling for a full ten minutes and only now did he see recognition in her eyes.

"Sorry Krit, I just zoned out for a second," she answered sheepishly.

"Have you heard from Zack?" he asked steering the subject away from what had just happened.

Max's face paled and again her eyes grew cold.

"Is he dead too?" Krit asked.

"I was shot in the heart during the mission at the DNA lab. Zack shot himself in the head in order to become my organ donor. He's alive but he's different. Manticore brought him back. Right now he's at a farm somewhere in Canada. He doesn't remember who he was. It's a long story."

"Do you know where he is?" Krit asked his eyes widening.

"Logan hid the location from me. He said it was better that way. He won't tell me if I ask him."

"Are you still with Logan?"

Max felt like vomiting at the thought of remaining with Logan. Logan had betrayed her more than Lydecker or Manticore ever had. She had trusted him and in the end he had cost her one of the few precious people she had claimed in her life.

"He can rot in hell for all I care."

Krit said nothing. The more he learned the more he was confused.

Max's mind raced. They needed answers and they needed them fast.

"Krit," Max asked breaking the silence, "are you good with computers?"

To be continued…


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Max moved across the rooftops. It had been so long since she had done anything like this for herself. A long time ago she had reveled in the feel of freedom that scaling a roof gave her. It proved for a mere moment that she wasn't human that maybe she was something even better.  
That night long ago when she had come looking for extra cash. A few trinkets from a rich man's penthouse and enough to provide for Theo and his family. Times were hard. For Logan times were easy.

It was so easy back then to break into the penthouse. Back before she knew the man and had earned his trust. Back before guilt was an emotion that she knew so well. Logan trusted her. His betrayal had hurt. Particularly because it involved Ben who had trusted her and who she had betrayed. Ben…

She needed that disk. It might help Krit and Krit needed help and she'd be damned if she let down another of her brothers. She had failed Ben but she wouldn't fail Krit.

Max leapt from rooftop from rooftop. In a sleek catlike movement she lowered herself from the skylight and pranced towards Logan's office. She was going to hate herself in the morning for doing this. But this wouldn't be the first time. She had done this all those times for Logan when she had been forced to mix and mingle. She would've done things like this if she had stayed at Manticore. There she probably wouldn't have realized the difference because they wouldn't have trained her to make use of their "gift."

I do this, she chanted silently. I can. It's for Krit and the others. I can do it.

The grinding of the exoskeleton gave Max her cue. She draped herself over the couch and plastered a huge smile on her face.

"Max?"

"Hey Logan. I came for our dinner. You know, you, me and chicken."

"Max, I know you're angry—"

Max moved closer towards him. "I don't want to talk about it. I was worried about you. We'll talk about it after we settle you and me. After all there is nothing as important our relationship."

Logan grinned. The world was what the two of them would make it. They could make it together and they would be the change the world so desperately needed.

"How you doing today?"

She genuinely sounded worried about him. Maybe…

"The way a guy whose proposal was turned down does," he replied.

"I didn't turn you down. I just didn't answer. Maybe you can convince me."

Max winked as she moved in closer and grabbed his hand. She bit her lip as Logan pulled her close for the kiss and led her to the couch. She moved around him.

"I'm so hungry. Didn't eat all day. Don't you have any chicken? You know the kind with garlic?"

Logan laughed. "One pasta á la Logan coming right up."

Max followed him into the kitcjhen.

Hurry it up Krit. I really don't want to be here.

Max didn't let those thoughts show. Instead she put on the costume of the besotted girlfriend.

Krit grunted as he lowered himself down from the skylight. He hated breaking into this place and he hated the fact that he needed Max to distract Logan. True, he could've risked it by coming alone but that was too much risk. This might be a one chance thing and he wasn't going to blow it. But Max in that rather skanky outfit she had hidden under her usual cat burglar uniform in their with Logan the man she claimed made her skin claw made Krit feel like digging his own grave.

Not that Max had told him exactly what the deal was between her and Logan. She just said she never wanted to see him again. So Logan had pissed Max off—how was still a question and Krit felt no sympathy for the ordinary—bastard probably deserved it.

Logan wasn't someone Krit had ever trusted. There were just too many factors about the man that didn't seem to add up. First, Logan seemed to treat all transgenics except for Max like trash (most likely because he wanted in her pants). Second, Zack didn't like Logan. It wouldn't just be jealousy with Zack even though the man was clearly in love with Max. Zack had seen something in Logan that made him suspicious and while Zack might be the most paranoid member of X5s he didn't lack intuition which was almost always accurate. Finally, Logan didn't treat Max like a person. Instead she was his messenger/cat burglar/sometimes girlfriend/work associate. For crying out loud their relationship started over blackmail!

Max deserved the best. Someone who worshiped the ground she walked on and was her equal. Not someone who thought he was her superior. Not someone who couldn't understand the harsh reality of their childhood. Not someone who had a morality complex and didn't understand that sometimes survival meant bending the rules.

Max's love life wasn't his concern. Now was not the time to analyze Logan Cale. The mission had to be completed. Only then would Logan no longer have Manticore files. Max had told Krit about Logan's type A personality. So Krit knew about the back-up files and the paper copies. Logan didn't trust anyone so it was unlikely that there were copies of the information in other locations.

Max had always asked one more thing.

"Destroy his computer."

"Max, you can't be serious."

"I mean it Krit. Make sure his Eyes Only network goes down. I know he helps innocent people. I know he does good things but I want that network down. I want him to loose something important to him. Something he couldn't see himself living without."

"Isn't this a little extreme?"

Max stood ramrod straight. "Just do it. Please."

Logan knew too much and who knew what information he had hid on the computer. Krit wasn't a hacker. His skills were more towards supply, logistics and weaponry. He could plan out a mission and have enough supplies for everyone but computers—

Going through the filing cabinents seemed like a logical place to start. Max had implied that Logan was hiding things from her. The names of files streamed past him and he ignored them until he say a title that interested him. One particular file caught his eye. Carefully he opened it and what he saw shook him to his core. He couldn't believe that Logan had, let alone, kept these pictures. These were photos of that day when they had hunted down the convict.

Rage washed over Krit. The rage he felt whenever he thought of that day. 'Deck had treated them like hunting dogs sending them after a fox.

The woods had been cold that day but all Krit could remember was the smell of rot and decay. His blood had rushed past his ears as he waited for Lydecker to finish the count. Time dragged on and the convict had underestimated them despite 'Deck's warning. The man wasn't human to the pack of transgenics. He was the target. It was their duty to stop him, to kill him before he escaped to the outside. The all knew that their would be punishment if the man made it past them.

There faces in the photograph were covered in blood. Even Kavi who had been only seven. Krit saw the blood and remembered the man's screams. Mercy was such a foreign concept to them. How could a person who had never been given mercy before give it to someone else?

They hadn't been human that day. They had been the animals that Manticore pretended they were to justify the inhuman way they were treated. They had been animals. Feral. Wild. Lethal.

Kavi had been scared. Krit remembered the little boy shaking after the hunt had ended. Nothing could comfort him. Kat had separated herself from the group and hidden under her wire framed bed. The events of the hunt had traumatized her. Eva wouldn't look any one in the eye. It was as if she was afraid of herself.

Krit was plagued by the memories afterwards. How often had he woken up in a cold sweat over what had happened? How often had he cried out in his sleep imagining his own siblings hunting him?

Again Krit dragged himself out of his brain. He had no time to debate over the past. No time to guilt trip himself for sins he had committed at another time in his existence. He had merely been a weapon then, a gun to be pointed.

He didn't have time to drag himself into those nightmarish memories. He didn't have time to remember Kavi's cries, or Kat's silence or Eva's tears. Or the look of horror in the convict's eyes as he died. Or the look of satisfaction on Lydecker's face when they returned mission accomplished.

Max felt the bulging in Logan's pants as he pulled her onto his lap. She bit her tongue back trying to withhold her disgust. Krit had had enough time by now,

She pulled herself off Logan's lap and made her face the cold Manticore mask. Her eyes burned like molten copper as she turned towards her "soul mate."

"Max?"

"What do you want from me, Logan? What do you see for us?"

"A family. You, me, our child. In ten years we have one child. You're a stay out home mother while I continue my broadcasts. You help me with the broadcast and take care of our son. You're happy Max. You're happy being just a mother and wife."

"Do you know the odds that we'll have a healthy child? Tinga was lucky. Other children—"

"I remember. The others were born with lower level intelligence. But we'll have a perfect child, a perfect family, a perfect life, no matter what it takes. We can make the necessary sacrifices."

"There would be a lot of sacrifices. We might never be able to have a biological child."

"Max you need to have faith. Faith, like you have in our relationship."

"What relationship? You have planned out our future without even asking me what I want. What I want is of no concern to you. Our relationship has been dead a long time."

"Max, I admit that there are some kinks in our relationship but we'll fix it. We can make everything better. You'll have everything you ever wanted. You'll have a family and a place to belong."

"Tell me Logan," Max said her voice becoming arctic, "how are we going to fix the fact that you betrayed me? I mean contacting 'Deck behind my back is a betrayal. How are we going to make it better that you don't trust me? I am always going to be a transgenic. I cannot escape that. For once I asked you not to get involved. I asked you to trust me to confront Ben. Did you? No, you had to try to protect me. I don't need your protection. I got along fine for ten years without you. I don't need you, Logan."

"When it comes to you're family—"

"What?" she turned towards him.

"You don't make rational judgements. Ben was too dangerous. He needed to be stopped."

"Stopped not forced into a corner where his only choices were death or captivity."

"When a dog is rabid you put it down."

Logan hadn't expected Max to shove him. He could hear the exoskeleton crash against the floor.

"All you ever think is that us transgenics are animals."

"Not you Max. Ben, he—"

Her face grew tighter. "Don't you pretend for one minute that you knew Ben or that you understood me."

Max slammed the door behind her.

Krit finished typing in the last the code on the computer. He checked his watch ten minutes ahead of schedule. He couldn't believe it. He had crashed Eyes Only's computer.

He had also managed to crack into the disk. He hadn't made much of a dent though. He had just gotten past some of the preliminary security codes. Hacking for information wasn't Krit's favorite pastime unlike his big sister, Kat, who was unbelievable at it.

The shouting match in Logan's living room had answered some of his questions. Logan had betrayed Max or did something that Max viewed as a betrayal. And this whole mess had something to do with Ben which explained Max's reaction. But what was this about Ben being backed in a corner? About Logan contacting 'Deck? And Max being a stay at home mom?

He'd find out soon enough.

Krit hopped through the window just as Max was exiting the door.

"Piece of cake," Krit told her when they had gotten back to the apartment.

To be continued...

A/N: Please Read and Review


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel.

It took the meticulously anal-retentive Logan Cale three days to notice the missing Manticore data. Eyes Only had been his main concern. Of course, Max and his break-up registered in his mind but it wasn't something he considered seriously. Max would be back. She always came back.

She left so many times in the past to protect and he was sure this was another one of those times. She would come back again when she realized that he was more than willing to protect both of them. He would then pigeon-hole her into his idea of a perfect life. The white wedding with the intimate guests of family and friends, the honeymoon in Europe where the pulse had never struck, the years of working together as a team creating good in their isolated corner of the world and improving the American condition one moment at a time, the image of her and little Logan junior who would the perfect proof of their love. Max at little Logan's first day of school, the nervous mom worried that her little one would miss her. Max watching little Logan play the piano. He would be a prodigy. Max and little Logan making cookies their endearing smiles making Logan Sr's heart melt. Little Logan's first baseball game, Mom proud in the stands and rooting for her baby. Little Logan's first girlfriend, Max grilling her and then finally smiling at letting them go on their date. Little Logan's graduation, Max proudly telling all her society friends about her genius son. Little Logan's first day of college, a crying Max bidding her baby goodbye. Little Logan's wedding, Max sitting the front row fighting back tears. Logan Cale IV's birth and grandma Max proudly talking about her first grandbaby and how her son would be soon be having more.

There would be no talk of Manticore, the love of husband and son would erase Max's horrible past. Transgenics wouldn't be discussed either. They wouldn't exist her life anymore for Max would consider herself human. She would give up her special abilities and settle down as the perfect wife and mother. She wouldn't work anymore except for charity events and Eyes Only. Their life would be perfect.

So Logan waited for Max to come back. This was only a minor issue. In the end she would realize that belonging with him was her destiny.

For three days Logan Cale focused on his mission. He had assignments already planned out. Jobs that took him across the country fighting the good fight. To Logan, Seattle hadn't been of importance for the last few days. Now it was.

The disk was missing. His files, countless pieces of data he had collected on Manticore, were gone. It was as if he had imagined transgenics. His back-ups, which he had more than ten, were gone as well. There was no trace of any data.

He had torn apart the office looking for the disk. He scattered the papers of the filing cabinet like a game of fifty-two pick-up and found nothing. Perhaps he had left the disk in the drive. He rarely did that but even he could make a mistake. Nothing.

It got worse when he tried to boot his computer. Across the screen flashed a confusing combination of code, the likes of which he had never seen before. Then the computer beeped and went blank. He tried every hackers trick he could think of but ended up with the conclusion that his system had been grounded by a virus. Logan had prepared for such a thing when he started his operation and tried his back-up disks. The machine only became more scrabbled and eventually completely shutdown with the likelihood of ever been useable again at a mere five percent (not taking in effect the three percentage rate of error).

He had the best virus protectors that money could buy. He hadn't downloaded any files before leaving or since he came back home. How could this be happening?

The person behind Logan's computer crisis was currently trying to scramble some eggs without burning them. Manticore hadn't taught her soldiers such practical skills and this mission was another failure. Krit groaned as he pulled the half cooked egg out of the pan. One part of the egg had burnt while the other was too runny to ever be thought of as cooked. His stomached groaned with the failure and Krit decided to take it like a man and swallow the egg. Afterwards he chugged three cartons of orange juice and still couldn't get the taste out of his mouth.

"Whoa, are you trying to burn the place down?" asked a male voice.

"Just trying to cook an egg. It doesn't seem to working out for me though," Krit answered.

Krit was slightly shaken. No one ever snuck up on him and yet this man had. He examined the features. The hazel eyes and the brown/blond hair were extremely familiar. So was the grin. But this man couldn't be Ben. The scent was different and Max swore that Ben was dead. So this was Alec, Max's almost breeding partner and second in command.

"You're Alec," Krit said.

"Yeah, and you are?" Alec questioned his eyes gleaming dangerously.

"Max's brother, Krit."

"You're the one who helped her and Zack blow up the DNA lab?"

"Yeah, that's me."

"What are you doing in town?"

"Old unit business. What are you doing here?"

"Looking for Max. Do you know why she's been a little off lately?"

Krit stared at Alec. He should've guessed that he hadn't been imagining things the other day when Max had faded out of their conversation. Still the idea that here was another transgenic who knew his sister as well as he did spoke volumes. Max wasn't known for letting people in at least that was what he had understood the last time they had worked together. She had mentioned that she was friends with Alec and that she trusted him but to allow anyone outside of their original unit to know her so well was….

"No, I don't know. Not like she would say but I have a hunch," Krit said.

"Involving?" Alec asked.

Krit swallowed. "Logan contacting Lydecker."

"When did that happen?" Alec asked his eyes widening at the words.

"I don't know. Logan had sensitive information involving Manticore."

"What type of information?"

"I saw some pictures that I don't know how he got. He had to have someone inside of Manticore to get them. There were of a training exercise back in '09 before the escape."

"Does Max know about the pictures?"

"I haven't told her yet. In her present mental condition I didn't think I should."

"I noticed something was wrong. Sometimes she looks at people and it's as if she's looking right through them. She's always in a daze. Her eyes will roll in odd directions and sometimes her hands shake. She is not living. She's--"

"Putting on a false face," Krit said interrupting Alec.

"You noticed?"

"Yeah, Max is my sister in more ways than one."

"Meaning?"

"We're biologically related. I know her better than most people too. We're always on the same wavelength. She can be a real pain in the ass but something is bothering her."

"So everything I told you?"

"I already knew. Have you caught her crying when she thinks no one's there?" Krit asked.

"No, she tries to remain in complete control. She doesn't seem herself though. It's like she cut off everything."

The door to the apartment slammed causing both male transgenics to be on guard.

"What have you done to my computer?" Logan demanded looking at Alec.

To be continued….


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Alec stared at Logan as if the Ordinary had grown two heads. Computer? He hadn't even seen Logan for three days.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Krit bit back his smile. He had thought that Logan would assume that one of Eyes Only's enemies had targeted him. Perhaps White or some one else who had all the reason to hate Eyes Only. That Logan had assumed it was someone among the transgenics hadn't even occurred to Krit but then again he supposed he should've realized that as far as transgenics went Max was the only decent one in Logan's eyes.

"I don't know anything about your computer," Alec spat.

"Wherever you go Alec trouble follows. I know how much you don't like. After all I have Max and you don't. But this is more than petty male prostrating. This is my life's work and the lives of many other people hang in the balance."

Alec gritted his teeth. "As if I would ever be jealous of you. Max was blinded by your self-righteous bullshit but she's not stupid enough to stay that way."

"Eyes Only is an important asset to society."

"What society? The society you deem is worth being saved or the poor fools who listen to you. A leader with only rhetoric and no ability to defend himself. I've seen your kind before. The people who turn their eyes away while the rest of us fight it out to survive. You fucking hypocrite. Eyes Only is about your ego. Nothing else," Krit said.

Logan blinked astonished to see the other transgenic who he hadn't paid attention to so far.

"What are you doing back in town?" Logan demanded.

Krit bristled under the ordinary's questioning. "Just because you and Max once were a thing doesn't mean I answer to you."

Logan held back a shiver and that inlaid threat. Krit wasn't the same as the last time he had seen him.

"Krit, you know I would never do anything to endanger you all. I've proven that but Alec—"

"Save it. I know that you sent Zack off to some farm in Canada. He has no memory and is in the middle of nowhere. There are other things you've done. I know Max knows some of what you've had your hand in and you better pray that I don't find out. I might not be Zack or Ben. But I can give you nightmares just as well."

Logan flinched at the mention of Max's other two teammates. Krit's eyes were a dark brown and there was no reasoning with him.

Alec was highly assumed and was biting back a smirk. Krit looked like he was ready to kill Logan. Krit had admittedly earned his respect. Logan was shaking looking like he was going to wet his pants something Alec had never been able to do because of Max. Max would've killed him if he had threatened a hair on Logan's perfect head. Those days were long gone.

When Max entered the apartment she found it as silent as a graveyard. Alec and Krit were standing like two predators over a defenseless Logan who was staring miserably at the floor. The boys seemed to waiting for Logan to make a move that would allow them an excuse to attack.

"What's going on?" Max demanded.

Logan gazed up at her, his eyes full of infatuation. She could almost hear his thoughts and realized how predictable she must have been in the past. Always protecting him from the wrath of any he had managed to piss off. And Logan knew how to piss off people.

"I want to know what Alec did to my computer. Files are missing," Logan said gaining courage from Max's presence. "Why didn't you tell that Krit was in town?"

Max rolled his eyes. "I didn't think I answered to you. And what right do you have to accuse Alec? Do you have any proof?"

"Come on Max, who else could it be?"

"White, Lydecker, your Uncle Jonas, any number of people who've become your enemies."

"This is serious. All my files on transgenics are gone including the ones I had in the filing cabinet. My penthouse was raided and only the information on Manticore was taken. Including the database."

"So you sold us out to White just like you contacted Lydecker behind my back."

"Max., I love you. I would never betray you."

"Heard that before. Tell that to the corpse of my brother!" Max screamed her icy façade long gone. "Tell that to Zack or Tinga or any of the others! You traded information with 'Deck for a long time."

"Max it's not what you—"

"GET OUT! I made it perfectly clear the other night that I will no longer associate with you. I don't want to be contacted by you ever again. If I so much as see you even accidently on the street I will kill you. I don't work with traitors. I hope White paid you well for your services!"

"Max!"

The door slammed in his face after he had been tossed out of the apartment.

Max was still red in the face and could feel her anger bubble. The tears were building behind her eyes. She could not cry instead she faked a laugh.

Krit and Alec exchanged worried looks.

"Care to fill me?" Alec asked Krit.

"Sure," said Max as she smiled a fake smile and pulled out a laptop from her messenger bag.

To continued…

…


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Alec's fingers flew over the keys. He rolled his eyes at the eager expressions on Max and Krit's faces. How on earth did he always end up in these situations? He was a better hacker than either Max or Krit but still what was in it for him? Nothing as far as he could see and he could see pretty far.

An hour of starring at that evil computer screen and he still wasn't all the way into the Manticore database. The encoding was very good so it explained why Logan hadn't so much as made a dent though it looked like the ordinary hadn't even worked on the disk. A talented X-5 hacker would've cracked it by now but Alec hadn't been trained as a hacker. He was smart but his computer experiences hadn't been his favorite. He had found the work too boring, no room for movement and had been quickly written off as a future hacker.

He groaned as he reached another blocked code that didn't even look remotely familiar. This was going to take a while.

Max and Krit spread out the files they had stolen from Logan.

"He kept copies of everything," Krit said in utter bewilderment as he sorted through the fifth file entitled "GENETICS LAB."

"He was always very meticulous," Max said. "He was more organized than any one I've ever met."

Krit pulled out another file. He wasn't surprised to find mug shots of each of the '09ers.

"Take a look Maxie," he said passing the file to her.

Max stared at the photos.

"You look pretty subdued in this one. What happened to you, Krit? " she teased.

"It wasn't the proper moment to be hyper. Have you looked at your photo? You look like a hardened criminal sentenced to death row at age nine."

"I think we all do. Zack hasn't changed much. He still has the same look on his face that he always does."

Krit laughed before opening Syl's file. She was still as beautiful as she had been the day that photo was taken. She had been such a pretty thing with pale fingers like an angel's and blue eyes that laughed even in front of their handlers. He couldn't remember a time when he hadn't been half in love with her, when he hadn't been near her. It hurt now to not know where she was.

Max had checked TC but no one matching Syl's description had arrived. It was if she was the snow maiden and had evaporated never to be seen by her prince again. Krit didn't pray, didn't believe in anything other than hard work but for one moment he hoped Syl would be alright. She had to be alright.

Max's behavior was beginning to scare Krit. She would zone out in the middle of conversations and sometimes she would be in attack mode when he came near her. She was beginning to start conversations with invisible people and he had heard her repeating, "I am not a wolf in sheep's clothing."

When Max thought she was alone, she cried. He had found her rocking on the floor sobbing hours before screaming out apologies.

Max's eyes darkened as she picked up the folder. How could she have forgotten that smile? Ben had always had a sweet smile that just belonged to him. It was so different from Alec's constant smirk that she couldn't even begin to describe it. Ben had been the only member of their unit who dared to smile at the camera. It was surprising since he always followed orders.

This had been the boy she had known. He looked so innocent smiling at the camera no one would've guessed of the madness lurking under surface. The last time she had seen him he was broken, a shattered representation of what he should've been.

Krit watched her cautiously. Max was close to tears and he glanced quickly at the file she held. So Ben was part of it. Why hadn't he guessed before? She had avoided speaking of Ben since she had mentioned his death. Krit had wanted to know exactly what had happened but Max refused to answer anything.

The night of the escape, they had all been terrified. There had been little time for planning but Krit had always believed that Zack had made a mistake that night. The pairs he had assigned had been wrong. Jondy should've paired with Zack not with Max. While Zack had paired himself with Ben there had been a mutual understanding that they would separate once they reached the outside.

Ben had never liked being alone. He had always surrounded himself with the others. Zack wouldn't even consider putting Ben and Max together as a pair and Krit had always believed it had more to do with personal issues than anything. Ben had looked hurt by the suggestion that he was incapable of caring for Max.

_The other X-5s had left the grove leaving only Ben, Krit, Syl and Zack there. They were hoping to lead Manticore's other soldiers on a wild goose chase around the area buying the others more time._

"_Maxie is still weak from the seizure and Jondy….She doesn't know what she's doing," Ben said._

"_Jondy will do fine. Her and Max are close," Zack replied._

_His blue eyes flitted around the perimeter. They could hear shouts in the distance and the barking of the dogs. It was only a matter of time now._

"_You're afraid. You don't want me near Max for some reason. I guess it makes your day to separate us. I hope you know what you're doing," Ben said heatedly._

"_What right do you have to question me?" Zack demanded his controlled voice becoming colder. "I am your superior officer."_

_Ben turned to look at Zack. His dark eyes glittered dangerously. "Just know that if anything happens to her I will never forgive you," Ben threatened before turning his back on the group._

Months later Krit had found out about Max falling through the ice. Remembering how weak she had been following the seizure, Krit had come to the same conclusion as Jondy that Max was dead. Zack had been quieter then. He was more paranoid with their lives and took his job as CO more seriously than before if that was even possible. Ben...only Zack saw Ben but Krit imagined it must have torn up his brother.

For a long time Krit himself couldn't speak Max's name without an empty despair consuming him. She was the reason they had escaped. He distinctly remembered a conversation with Zack a few years after the escape.

_Krit glanced at the dinner. It was semi-clean but he didn't belong in a place like this. It had been Zack's choice for their meeting._

_Krit wasn't too happy about this. A month before it had been him and Zane. Syl had been moved to another part of the country. Zack had separated Krit and Syl because they risked tactical exposure together. Krit figured the truth was that Zack was afraid Krit would knock up Syl. They were rather cozy together. _

_As for Zane that had been shear luck. They had run into each other at a bar. It seemed natural for the two brothers to decide to remain together. They were family after all. They started pulling heists and life was looking up. They got into lots of trouble. It was the bar fight, however, that got them in trouble with Zack. _

_Zack sent Zane to California and let Krit remain in Texas. According to Zack, Krit and Zane were just too much trouble together._

"_How's everyone doing?" Krit asked._

"_Same as always. Most of them are moving around. They're staying under the radar like I told them to," Zack replied as he casually sipped his coffee._

"_How's Ben?" Krit asked._

"_He's still not speaking to me. I know he doesn't like being alone. But it's not like we can stay together. It's too risky."_

"_He's mad at you for leaving him?"_

"_It's not just that. He's still mad that I didn't pair him up with Max. He blames himself for not being there. He thinks he could've prevented her from falling through."_

"_Like you blame yourself?" Krit asked._

_"What is it to you?" Zack asked his voice becoming dangerous._

"_Ben loved Max. He loved her like you did," Krit said. "Or can't you see it?"_

_Zack didn't reply as he drank more coffee._

"_Time for you to relocate."_

"Maxie?" Krit asked softly shaking himself out of his thoughts.

Max was still staring at the picture.

"Yeah, Krit?"

"You alright?

Max smiled and nodded at him.

Krit wasn't fooled. He had put on the same face himself millions of times before. He had worn at like a shield to keep others out and only around his sibs and Syl did the mask fall. He could see Max's hurt. How could Ben damage her this badly?

"DONE!" Alec screamed from the other room.

To be continued…


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Max stared at the database in front of her. Here lay all of the answers to her questions. There were massive quantities of information to take in and absorb and no obvious starting place.

"Is this everything?" she asked Alec.

Alec was sitting on the couch looking exhausted. He hated working the computer with the light hurting his eyes and the feeling of inadequacy considering he barely managed to hack through the system was enough to make him cringe inside. Krit was still sorting through the files a kind of obliviousness surrounding him. He cared but right now the paperwork he was going through was painting a very vivid picture of a Logan Cale that he had never suspected existed

"Everything is there. Whoever encoded this thing didn't expect a transgenic to get a hold of it. Probably Renfro, she was going to kill us all. For all his hacking, Logan would've had a tough time with it. It doesn't look like he made as much as a dent though," Alec said running his hand through his hair.

"It wasn't Eyes Only so Logan wouldn't really care. He probably could've cracked it months ago but who knows? Maybe he was incompetent. The database will answer a lot of questions."

"Like what, Maxie?" Krit said his eyes hardening. "It will tell us all the horror of what they did. I wouldn't be surprised if we're all catalogued on that thing like some type of lab experiments."

Alec nodded. Manticore had never failed to remind them that they were artificial, created for the sheer purpose of killing.

"That's probably the case but it might help us. We should probably open Zack's file first. It will tell us about the procedures they did on him. Maybe we can find a way to deprogram him. We can't have him running around Seattle trying to kill Logan. It would attract too much attention."

"I personally feel like joining him on the killing Logan front. The guy knew too much," Krit said.

"We let him into the clubhouse. Time we revoke his play pass," Alec said.

Max ignored them. "Alec help Krit with Logan's files. We didn't get too far. There is probably a lot more that he was hiding."

"Boy, you're pushy but whatever you say boss," Alec replied sarcastically. "Tell me you managed to copy his hard drive."

"Contrary to popular belief, I'm not an idiot," Krit said. "I copied the whole thing before downloading the virus into his system."

"His Eyes Only contacts are in there. Might be useful," Max said casually. "We need Zack's location. That's top priority. That and the contact number for 'Deck."

"We'll need to steal another computer," Alec said. "It will go quicker. One person going through the database, another going through the hard drive and the last person sorting through the files. Did you get all his disks."

Krit stood up and passed the burnt cds to Alec. "I took everything remotely Manticore related. I ever swiped a few photos of Max he had on his desk. Better safe than sorry."

Alec nodded. He too had suspected Logan of hiding information. Clearly whatever had gone down between Logan and Max had involved something of the sort. Though Max would only say that she had broken up with the ordinary because of betrayal and trust issues.

"Where can we get another computer?" Krit asked.

"I know just the place. The guy there owes me quite a few favors and it's about time I cashed in. I've been supplying him with 'merchandise' for months now. He knows better than to screw with me. I'll just end his supply and led him into the friendly arms of the Seattle cops."

Max didn't even bat an eyelash. Alec and the black market—seemed like a math made in heaven. Not that she could judge. Her old art heist days weren't that long gone. 'Sides a girl's gotta eat.

Krit didn't move as Alec exited the apartment. He was too engrossed with the files to be interested in a computer foray. There hadn't been much information that could really cause him to pause but the file labeled X5-353 was enough to make him drop everthing else. What the hell could Cale possibly know about Seth? And more importantly, how did Logan know about Seth?

"Go watch Alec's back for me," Max said barely looking away from the monitor.

Krit bit back a retort. Whatever was going on with Max maybe Alec would know something. Of course babysitting Alec wasn't his idea of a good time but then again Max…Krit didn't want to go there. Something was definitely wrong.

Max didn't hear the door slam as she continued reading. Files were listed. Hundreds and thousands of documents recording Manticore's history and the records of every single transgenic ever created. She looked at the failure barcode. Sure it wasn't the information that she was looking for but what would it hurt.

**Designation: X5-599**

**Known Aliases: Zack, Michael Hanover**

**Unit 1**

**Rank: Commanding Officer (CO)**

**Status: Operation**

**X5-599 is the first of his series. He has proven himself to be an intelligent resourceful soldier with strong leadership capabilities. He is the dominant member of Unit 1. Both he and X5-353 are considered Alpha males.**

**Both units battled for the leadership position. 599 proved to be more dominant. There are hints within Unit 1 of other Alpha males but so far the only developed ones as are 599 and 353.**

**353 was the SIC of Unit 1. In '09, 599 managed to successfully lead twelve members of his oringial twenty member unit to areas outside of Manticore's juridistiction. A week later 353 also succeeded in going AWOL. All missing units are considered armed and dangerous. They must be brought back at all cost.**

Max skimmed through the remainder of the file. She had known before that Zack had been incaracerated at thirteen. She smirked slightly. Armed robbery so did not sound like Zack, the man who continuously bearated her about unnecessary risks. It had taken him four hours to break out of prison. Still it was hard to imagine him as some type of rebellious teenager.

There were sub-files on the psy-ops precedures he had undergone when he had turned himself in for her. Lydecker had presided over the torture and the methods used on him would've broken anyone else she had ever known. She had to admire him for still holding it together but Zack had known his collapse would've meant the capture of his entire unit.

Psy-ops had even sent Max's twin, Sam to impersonate her. Sam had almost succeeded. Zack had gone so close to spelling his guts that Lydecker was assuring his superiors that soon he would have the rogue X5. Zack hadn't been kidding when he said he had forgotten everyone else but her.

The second time Manticore had captured him, Zack had shot himself in the head to become her heart donor. She would never understand what had possessed him to save. In fact most of the time she wished he had let her die like she had let Ben die. It would've been easier that way.

She could hear his heart beating loudly in her chest. The heart, a constant reminder that Zack loved her. Zack who called love and attachment "phony sentimentality" had given his life for her. He should've been dead but Renfro had decided to use him as a science experiment knowing that Max's loyalty to him would keep her contained.

The sub files about the gene sequencing were towards the end of Zack's file. There were detailed procedures on how to create the perfect soldier. She read through the various animals that had been genetically grafted onto Zack's DNA. Then she examined the human DNA analysis. He had the DNA several great military geniuses including Patoon.

The final page was the egg and sperm donors list. These two people were at least responsible for 65 to 75 percent of Zack's genetic make-up.

**Genetic Donor Information**

**Designation: X-5 599**

**Sperm donor #: C98-039-938-432 **

**Name: Donald Michael Lydecker**

**Egg donor #: E993-321-312-346**

**Name#: Adriana Marie Vertes**

Max felt ice begin to gather on her skin. For once in her life she pitied Zack. At least Lydecker wasn't her father.

To be continued…


End file.
